Expressions of my obsessions with the fascinations of Natural Kansas by Ken Brunson

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Native Plant Celebration in the Red Hills

The Kansas Native Plant Society is coming to the Red Hills! The regular fall meeting and field trips of the KNPS is meeting in Pratt from Sept. 19-21. There are several field trips planned as well as a very interesting program as part of the proceedings. Google Kansas Native Plant Society or go to http://www.kansasnativeplantsociety.org/ for more information. Here are a few of the cool plants which were observed and photographed very recently at a couple of the stops.

Stout Scorpion Weed is one of the most iconic representatives of the flora of the Red Hills. Called "Ugly Weed" by some locals, this plant is a late bloomer and offers a unique flower head.

Also called "Fiddle Head" for obvious reasons, this plant has small but very pretty flowers. Here, a Digger Bee enjoys its nectar.

One of several species of gayfeather, this is Liatris glabra.

Phyllis captures Cadence taking shelter in one of the many very interesting rock formations at one of the stops on the KNPS upcoming field trips.